Scaffolding



Dec. 23, 1941. H. H. CLARK `SCAFFOLDING Fild June 21, 1940 Patented Dec.23, 19541 UNITED sTATEs PATENT ori-ICE I Ioward H. Clark, Kent, OhioApplication June 21, 1940, serial No. 341,160

5 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved scaffolding for use by brlcklayers,housepainters and generally in building and in repair and improvement ofbuildings. It is an object of my invention toprovide a simple andinexpensive scaffolding which can be put together or taken down with aminimum of time and expense and which shall reduce the hazardsincidentto the use of scaifolding, and particularly to do away with the vuse ofnails as the principal means of securing together-the several parts of ascaffolding, since nailing damages theparts and since faulty nail-` ingis responsible for many of the accidents occurring in the use ofscaffolding.

. A specific object is toprovide improved extensible uprghts or posts ofsuch a character that they can readily be made higher, yet will afford astrong and rigid support for the entire framework.

Another object is to provide an improved Joint between sections of theuprights of the scaioldm v Another object is to provide an improvedmethod of bracing the scalolding.

Another object is to provide an improved method of supporting putlogs.

than a -solid pole of like materiall and identical weight. Y

The bottom sections of the uprights are square at the bottom andthroughout their length up to the joint now to be described. At theupper ends of the lowermost sections and at each end of intermediatesections spacers I5 and I6 are provided which are simply duplicates ofspacers I4 cut on an angle of about and each attached to a section o fthe post so as to member or coact with each other in `theextension of apost. It will be seen that the respective side bars of an upper sectionare alined with and rest directly on those of a lower section, theseside bars being of the same cross-section from end to end, so that nonpart of their strength is lost.

Channel irons I1 and Il are permanently affixed to the inner side of onesection and to the outer side of the coacting section by screws I9Another object is to provide improved means i for supporting footboardsand material-carrying boards.

Referring to `the annexed drawing, which is made a part of` thisapplication and in which Fig. 3, a detail of a joint on an enlargedscale,

Fig. 4, another detail of parts shown in Figs.

1 and 2; and

Fig. 5, a detail of a modication. I

In the drawing, reference character III indicates a bottom section of anupright in the nature of a pole or post and II indicates another sectionformed for superposition on a section I0. These uprights include anysuitable number of sections according to the height desired and each ofthe sections comprises two parallel bars or side rails I2 and I3 withspacers Il arranged at suitable distances between them. Screws i3connect each spacer to the bars I2 'and I3 but of course other means maybe used to fasten the parts securely together to make a very strong andrigid upright which in tact is found to be stronger or the like, theiianges of said channel irons embracing the side bars and providingVguides for guiding the spacers I5 and I6 and holding the parts in place,and the Achannel bars extending beyond the end of the section preferablyfar enough to embrace the end of the second spacer of the upright, asshown in Fig. 1. For additional security I provide bolts 20, preferablyjust above and below the membering spacers I5 and I6, said boltsconnecting the channel. irons and coacting with vthe spacers to furtherstrengthen the uprights. It wiil be evident Vthat if the bars I2Y and I3are i1%" by 3%", for example, and the spacers'are cut from so-called 2 x4s with bolts and screws of appropriate size and with strong channelirons, avery strong and rigid structure will result. Actually I proposeto use spacers lit" thick by l2" long, the spacers I5 and I8 being cutso as to leave three inches of their length in the original rectangularform and the side bars are H" thick or of greater thickness as may bedesirable according to conditions.`

Each pair of uprights (comprising an inner upright next to a wall and anouter upright farther from the wall) carries a suitable number ofputlogs 2| which preferably are so thick as just to iit nicely betweenthe bars I5 and I8 and which rest on the spacers of the respectiveuprights but are not fastened to the uprights ex- `cept forsmall nails,which are used as hereinputlogs thatcarry the footboards. for additionalbolts 25 mounted in the spacers, and by diagonal `braces 28, here shownas each carried at one end by a bo1t25 and at the other by a bolt 21mounted in a spacer located lower down on the other of the pair of`uprights, each bolt being long' enough to carry the ends of at leastthree braces, i. e., two horizontal braces extending to right and lefttherefrom and adlagonal brace. Preferably the braces consist of hollowmetallic tubes fiattened part to receive a bolt. but' obviously' thestructure and arrangement of the braces may be varied. Nailed-on ledgerboards and cross brac can be added in special. cases but it will be seenthat generally I avoid all nailing and yet provide a strong and rigidstructure that can be put together, taken apart and re-assembled, allinquick time and with no damage to the parts.

,The arrangement whereby footboards can be located at any convenientlevel, and whereby matened nt their ends with n noie through the i'lat-lterial supporting tables can also be provided approximatelyA waist-highwith reference to the footboards, is particularly desirable-as conducingto" emcien'cy and reducing fatigue, especially in the case ofoperations, such asbricklaylng, where tremendous waste of time andstrength often occurs dueto the necessity of incessantly stoop-v ingforr bricks and for mortar.

The use of braces that can be temporarily secured in place merely byhanging them up at one end is also a matter of great convenlence, sinceit avoids the'necessity of many a diflicult climb and many an awkwardand difficult job of nailing, particularly vwhere one man is workingl byhimself. This outfit can be used anywhere that an upright type ofscailolding can `be used.

The provision of readily adjustable putlogs that can be moved forward tosupport fcotboards or to bear against a wall for additionally bracingthe scaffolding, or moved backward out'of the way 'with their surpluslength projecting back of the scaffolding is obviously a matter of greatconvenience. Usually I secure the putlogs against slipping or lateralmovement by means of small nails 30. Also the arrangement' of putlogs atconvenient intervals (as at 2-foot intervals) is a matter of greatconvenience, since these putlogs andtheir uprlghts serve as a convenientladder.

.I claim is:

ademas It will be obvious that this scaffolding should be set on a levelfooting and such footing may readily be made of planks and suitablesupporting means therefor. When used for veneering or facing, thescaffolding may be secured to a wall or a window ledge by metal straps3l (Fig. 2).

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification in which the position of thechannel irons I1 and Il' is reversed, the flanges of the two ironsextending oppositely away from each other instead of toward each other.v

It will b'e obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes may bemade in the device of my invention all without departing from the spiritof the invention. and therefore I do not limit myself .to what is shownin the 'drawing and described in the specication but only as indicatedln the appended claims. Having thus fully described l.Scaifoldingcomprising superposable uprights each including a pair ofspaced parallel side bars, spacers located at intervals betweensections. l a

2. A device as in claim 1 including abutting spacing means secured toeach upright at the' Joint between said pair ofuprights.

s. -A device as in claim 1 including abutting spacing means secured toleach upright at the f joint between said pair of uprights yand boltsPassing through said channel irons and said side bars respectively aboveand below said spacing means.

" 4. A device as in vclaim 1, including a spacer on each uprightadjacent thejoint between them, said spacers having oppositely inclinedfaces fitting closely against each other when the-ends of the side barsare brought into abutting. relation.

5. A device asin claim 1, including a spacer on each upright adjacentthe joint between them, said spacers having oppositelyinclined facesiitting closely against each other when the ends of the side bars arebrought into abutting relation the ends of the side bars of each uprightterminatingrespectively at the upper and lower margins of the face ofthe spacer between said side bars.

HOWARD H. CLARK.

my invention'what

